The Revenge of Little Red Riding Hood
by J. E. Talveran
Summary: The power of hiding ourselves from each other is mercifully given, for men are wild beasts, and would devour one another but for this protection. Sara Sidle is called on favor by a friend to investigate a murder that might pull her under as well. SS slash
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Revenge of Little Red Riding Hood

Author: J. E. Talveran

Disclaimer: All trademarks of C.S.I and of White Wolf's "World of Darkness" RPG books do not belong to me. I am merely borrowing them for the duration of these tales. Any original characters, however, are solely mine. This story will have femmeslash (though not explicit) so if that doesn't fit your tastes, you are free to click out. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I'll enjoy diving back into the writing process.

* * *

**The Revenge of Little Red Riding Hood**

**Chapter One**

"_My great religion is a belief in the Blood, the Flesh, as being wiser than the Intellect.  
We can go wrong in our minds. But what our blood feels and believes and says is always true. The Intellect is only a bit and a bridle."_

_D. H. Lawrence_

Three people who were not human were tied to the floor with chains over their wrists, shoulders, chests, hips, knees, and ankles. The chains groaned as the trio struggled underneath them. Three pairs of eyes focused on the hooded shadow on the opposite side of the cabin. Three mouths opened wide in roaring rants, slavering swears, and cold curses against that silent figure. Six hands flexed, the nails digging into meaty palms.

Three people died that night.

a.a.a.

Sara Sidle shifted her field kit between her hands as she reached out to shake hands with the local sheriff. His natural smile and boyish face looked misplace in the strobing red and blue lights of squad cars parked haphazardly about them. He gently took her elbow and led her outside the circle and onto a dirt stretch of ground. 

"Sara, thank you for coming out on such short notice. I know this isn't procedure but you're the only scientist I'll trust to work with my small department. We don't get murders out here, you know that."

Sara nodded, her eyes leaving his face and scanning their surroundings. They were in a rural town far outside Vegas' limits, the forest a stark contrast to the desert she had grown used to. The sky was clear above them, the stars numbering in the billions as they shone down onto a woman who was jaded by neon lights overtaking the night. It was serenity, until she turned around and saw the trickle of blood dripping down the steps leading into the cabin proper, the gaggle of people crowding the area, and the unmistakable tension that arose in the air after a homicide.

"I'll do whatever you need, Jonas," Sara's voice was soft as she turned back. "You name it, you got it."

Jonas Reed flashed Sara a grateful smile and tipped his hat as he got down to business. "This area used to be a tourist site. Cabins, camping, hiking. All that outdoorsy stuff city-folk travel miles for. Well, a few years back the owner died and left the place to his daughter." He gestured to a woman standing in the distance giving a statement to another officer. "An Amelia Hunter. Charming gal, if a bit introverted," he coughed, then continued. "She came up here with three others. A Tommy Williams, a Jessie Hart, and Edward Kite. They didn't reopen the place, but they settled down here. Lived without incident here for five years now. Until ..."

Sara nodded, her eyes back on Amelia's profile. Her heart pained with the loss the woman must be feeling right now but then she steeled. Evidence first, then people. "What happened in there, Jonas?"

"You need to see it for yourself. Two deputies have already gone sick at the scene."

"Lead the way, then." The pair left their semi-private conversation spot and returned to the others, then passed through and up into the cabin, avoiding the blood trail. As they entered, Sara's mind went into an analytical process, taking in the door, the walls, the placement of items. Her eyes traveled the length of the floor first, noting the blood spatter. Then, finally, she allowed herself to look at the scene itself.

Chains nailed into the floorboard held down what appeared to be three human remains. Heads were set into chest cavities, the eyes staring upward in eternal horror. The bodies were stripped of skin in odd patterns as well, the spirals and twists a macabre art-form on human canvas. Though the scene was shadowed, enough was lit to show off the grisly nature of what had happened here.

"Has the coroner cleared the bodies yet?" Sara looked up to Jonas, her brow furrowed in question.

"Not yet. Jimmy lives a bit away and was on-call tonight. He'll get here as quick as he can."

"Sheriff?" a man stepped forward. "Call for you."

"Excuse me Sar--"

"Go ahead, I'll be here," she waved him off, and crouched down, shining her flashlight near one of the victim's hands. The floorboard was torn up, though the chain's spikes looked firmly set in. Gouge marks marred the wood stain, and a closer look to the hands showed blood caking the nail-beds. She nodded to herself, stood up, and went to work.

a.a.a

The process lasted far into the morning hours, sunlight streaming through the eastern windows. Sara pressed the back of her hand to her mouth to cover a yawn and gestured for the young (had she ever been that green?) investigator beside her that they were wrapped for the time being. They left the house, closing the door behind them. Outside, most of the cars were gone, the crowd dwindled to less than a dozen. She spotted Jonas, the deputy who had pulled him away. The assistant coroner was still there as well. The three young CSI's, if that was even a title out here, and Amelia. The woman was sitting on a bench on the far side of the clearing, her head braced on her hands as she stared quietly out into the woods.

Sara hesitated a bit, then walked forward, coming to stand opposite the grieving woman. "Miss Hunter?"

Amelia looked up and Sara blinked in surprise at the lack of any signs of tears on the woman's face. In fact, Amelia seemed very calm, very composed. Her gray eyes locked with Sara's in silent question, her auburn hair in a messy braid down her back.

Sara resisted an urge to back away and held out her hand. "I'm Sara Sidle, the CSI that's going to lead the investigation on the forensics' side."

"Jonas speaks highly of you," Amelia said, her voice quiet and rich. She smiled slightly, and took the offered hand. "Amelia Hunter, I was visiting Jonas and his wife for a monthly catch-up. Came home and well, the three usually try to shock me when I walk in but this ... this took the cake," her lips quirked upwards in a bitter smile.

Sara looked to the free bench seat and Amelia nodded to the quiet request. As she sat, she started up her own questions. "What were the deceased to you?"

"Ah, the oddity of our living status? Jonas doesn't approve, but then again, he doesn't understand. We're not lovers or some pseudo-orgy cult. We're family, even though we aren't blood-related. Those three were closer to me than my own family ever was."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Everyone says that, Miss Sidle, but thank you for the condolences." Amelia frowned, "why is a CSI asking these? I always thought that was the detective's side of the deal."

Sara smiled wryly. "Habit, I suppose. Vegas lets us have a longer leash."

"Ah." The two fell into silence, though Sara couldn't figure out if it was awkward or not. The redhead had turned her attention back to the woods, her eyes glazed over with grief, Sara supposed.

"Sara?" Jonas stood a few feet away. "They're finally taking off, heading back to the offices."

Sara answered him with an "coming, then" and bid her goodbyes to the redhead before trotting to her car.

* * *

TBC

This story is not beta-checked. I try to catch the grammar mistakes and spelling errors as best as I can but if any slip out, I apologize.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Revenge of Little Red Riding Hood

Disclaimer: White Wolf and CSI trademarks belong to the respective companies. I'm merely taking them out for a joyride. Again, this story will contain slash, and other mature themes. You have been warned.

* * *

**The Revenge of Little Red Riding Hood**

**Chapter Two**

Amelia had waited patiently until the final car had pulled out of the circular drive. Though she couldn't re-enter the cabin, she assured the police that she had a place to stay and no, she wouldn't leave town. As the sun crept higher into the sky and the morning shadows pulled away from the light, she finally stood up from her vigil. She brushed her hands over her jeans and stared down the hill.

"What were they doing?" came the gravelly whisper from behind her. She didn't flinch, nor did she relax. Her eyes flicked over to the side, noting the large shadow on the ground before she spoke.

"They were investigating."

"They know nothing and will find nothing."

Amelia let out a breath, nodding. "I know. The case will be closed in less than a turn of Mother's gaze. I'll pull out what's needed to be kept hidden. How it always works." She finally turned, her eyes on an empty space before her. The voice echoed in her mind once more.

"We're the ones who should be hunting. Not them. They don't understand."

Amelia allowed a smile at that. "You said that was our problem when we first met. We didn't understand the meaning of home." She turned her face to the side, giving the road another look. "You can show yourself now, they're all gone."

The air shimmered and soon a badger the size of a pick-up truck stood before her, fur a mixture of snowy white, silvery gray, and inky black. It's eyes were golden and shone with an unhuman intelligence. It's claws were rusty-red. It also looked diminished, and incomplete. Exactly how she felt. She reached out a hand and curled her fingers through it's bristly mane, trying to stabilize herself. "When they leave, we will seek payment for our family."

The badger huffed and sat onto it's hindquarters, eyes locked onto her form. "One of them smelled funny. Like you without the stench of the wolf," it cut off Amelia's next few words, "she'll cause trouble. Shouldn't be here. Not now."

"I can't exactly tell Reed to send her packing. She's here as a favor to him. He thinks it'll help."

The badger cocked it's head. "Will it?"

"You know it won't."

The badger stood up, towering over her and shuffled across to the cabin. It eyed the crime-scene tape with distaste and shot a look to her. She could only stare quietly back.

a.a.a

In her mind's eye, Sara was walking though the scene again. Trying to piece together the puzzle to garner any results. Three bodies in an apparent ritualistic pose. Chains made of silver. Skin stripped in logic-defying patterns along the skin. Eyes glazed. Mouths open. Hands torn.

Nothing stood out.

Frustrated, she laid back on the bed and glared at the ceiling. She was missing something. She knew it. She grumbled and closed her eyes, replaying the scene.

She walked into the cabin. _Blood, so much blood. There's no prints in the sticky pools._ Her eyes sweep over the walls. _Arterial spray, curling into bizarre runes and dripping._ The ceiling. _Blood there too, drip-dripping onto the floor. _Finally, the bodies. _If she squinted, she could faintly make out the specter of death hovering. It's red cloak brushing down into the blood without stirring. It's hands greedily roamed the bodies, feasting on the destruction. _

_It's looking at her now. Hissing._

_ Oh god._

_She's running. Out of that cabin. The strobe of police lights hit her but each red beam burns her and each cold beam freezes her to her bones._

_It's still coming. Hissing her name._

_She's got to run. Run or die._

_Run!_

_Her ears ring, the sound echoing louder. Louder._

Sara yelped as she fell from the bed, her cellphone's ring blaring somewhere above her on the nightstand. She groaned and reached up, fumbling around until she dragged it to her ear. "Sidle."

"Sara? It's Hodges."

"Hodges?"

"Yeah. Look, that trace you sent me came back odd."

She sat up, frowning. "Odd? What's odd?"

"Well, we ran it and it came back to us as a Rebecca Hunter. Only problem is, she's been dead for the past two years." He paused. "So, uh, you sure that lab got this sent out right?"

Sara pulled the phone away to glare at it. She had signed the evidence seals herself. "I'm positive. Look, you got a hit, right? Just send me the file through the sheriff's fax."

There was a rustling of paper on the other end. "Sure. I've got nothing better to do except for my own shift-work. Why not?"

The line went dead. She tossed the phone onto the bed and stood, rolling her neck from side to side. She wanted a shower.

a.a.a

Hodges had come through for her. She had walked into the office to be greeted by a stack of papers from the receptionist. She thanked the woman and tucked herself into a corner desk, setting the file before her. Rebecca Hunter had been the daughter of one Rick Hunter and a Kathy Breech. Parents weren't married and when her mother died she was placed in her father's care. She had a sister too.

Sara frowned.

Amelia Hunter was the older sibling, the product of a union between Rick Hunter and a Susan Green. Mother was also deceased. After their father had died in a hunting accident, Rebecca was placed under her sister's care until she was to turn eighteen.

She disappeared after a public fight with her sister three years later at the age of fourteen. The investigation pulled up a large amount of blood on the Hunter's property that matched Rebecca's DNA but a body had never been recovered, nor had there been any sightings of her since. The case was closed as "unsolved".

Amelia Hunter seemed to have death following her. Sara shut the file and looked up.

_A giggle echoing down the corridor. A pause, then a snarl of rage. A flash of small hands that aren't really hands at all._

_So much blood._

Sara blinked as the station came to a sudden flurry of activity around her. There was Deputy ...Johnson? No, Jackson, hunched over and dry-heaving over the trash bin. The receptionist was frantic, huddling at her desk. Anger filled the air. Then the stink of blood and flesh.

She got up slowly and made her way through the room, pausing at Reed's side. He was staring into a side office. There, on the floor, was a posed body, the head staring up at them from the hole in it's chest.

* * *

TBC.

This may be a tad confusing for those who aren't familiar with White Wolf's RPG world but bear with me. I promise to not leave you floundering in the dark. Reviews are not needed, but they help me see if this story is being recieved for ill or for good.


End file.
